SPRINGFIELD –Following the indictment of former Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) released the following statement:

“These allegations are disheartening. Behavior like this will not be tolerated in the legislature. As a Senator, I take my oath to public service and ethical conduct seriously. Members of the General Assembly are held to a higher standard and we must continue to work together to root out corruption so we can begin to restore the public’s trust in government.”

DES PLAINES –State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) announced that her Des Plaines office is moving on March 1.

Senator Murphy’s new district office address is 1645 S. River Rd., Suite 7, Des Plaines, IL 60018. You may also reach her office by calling 847-718-1110, or online here.

“Senate district offices typically assist constituents with state-related programs, such as unemployment insurance, SNAP benefits, and child support,” Murphy said. “I hope people in my community will take advantage of these resources at our new office location.”

“I regret moving from Downtown Des Plaines, but I’m encouraged by the continued redevelopment of the downtown area,” Murphy said. “I look forward to continuing to serve residents of the 28th District at our new location on River Road.”

SPRINGFIELD – Recognizing that music therapy is a necessary treatment option for vulnerable communities, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) advanced a measure which allows for the licensure of music therapists and creates a Music Therapy Advisory Committee.

“Music therapy can be life-changing for children suffering from traumatic brain injuries, seniors, stroke survivors, veterans experiencing PTSD, and many other conditions,” Murphy said. “This initiative will ensure music therapists are qualified to work with vulnerable communities, as well as encourage patients and their families to seek out this form of care.”

Music therapists are skilled musicians who use music interventions to achieve therapeutic goals. After assessing their client’s functioning through response to music, they design music interventions and therapy sessions based on the client’s needs. Common conditions treated with music therapy include autism, Alzheimer’s disease, mental diseases, developmental disabilities, stroke, and traumatic brain injury, and is often recommended to veterans and seniors—making many people receiving this care some of the most vulnerable in our communities.

Murphy is also aiming to make this type of therapy more accessible and recognized as an option for patients and their families struggling with certain conditions. The measure would also create a Music Therapy Advisory Board, which would establish and continue to define standards for licensure by referring to their own experiences as licensed music therapists and patients of this therapy.

“Music therapists work with some of our most vulnerable populations, and can provide relief for their conditions. However, they should also be required to have a therapeutic license to ensure their practice is verified,” said Murphy. “It is past time that we treat this therapeutic practice with as much legitimacy and scrutiny as other forms of therapy when granting licenses to practitioners.”

Senate Bill 2243 passed the Senate on Friday. It now goes to the House for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – Children living in unincorporated areas may no longer have to pay large non-resident fees to access resources in libraries outside of their district, thanks to a new measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines).

“We know that children that read, succeed. We must do everything to remove barriers that prevent their access to libraries,” Murphy said. “It is long past time to increase access to library materials for our community’s children who are eager to learn through reading.”

Currently, children who want to access resources from a library outside of their district must pay a non-resident fee. These fees are determined by each library’s board of trustees, and typically are at least equal to the cost paid by the residents of the district. However, these fees are often far too expensive for children who want to access resources, like reading materials or computers, during their school breaks. Murphy aims to address these disparities by waiving non-resident library fees for kids who want to expand their horizons through reading.

Senator Murphy is a longtime supporter of increasing accessibility to library resources. In 2020, she advocated for a group of high school students living in unincorporated Des Plaines who could not check out reading materials from their local libraries without paying hundreds of dollars in non-resident fees. To address this issue, she supported a bill that extended library access to children residing outside of the municipality where their local library is located, which passed the Senate unanimously. She is hopeful that her latest initiative to increase library access will receive similar support from her colleagues.

“Public libraries provide many important services beyond just books—they provide resources for job and college applications, which are essential for brilliant young people seeking opportunities for their futures,” Murphy said. “We need to increase access to library resources to give all children all the tools to succeed.”

Senate Bill 3497 passed the Senate Wednesday. It now goes to the House for further deliberation.